By JACOB POLACHECK
CHICAGO — Kris Wilkes, the 6-foot-8 UCLA commit from North Central (IN) High School, said that UCLA head coach Steve Alford told him that he was staying at UCLA before announcing it publicly.
Last week, there were talks of Alford possibly returning to Indiana, his alma mater, to take the head coaching position following the firing of Tom Crean.
“He told me that he was going to stay beforehand,” Wilkes said here at the McDonald’s All-American Game. “I knew the rumors would die down. He has a really good team and we have great players coming in next year.”
UCLA will lose freshman point guard Lonzo Ball, seniors Bryce Alford and Isaac Humphries and possibly freshman forward T.J. Leaf.
Joining Wilkes at UCLA is fellow McDonald’s All-American Jaylen Hands, along with Cody Riley, Jalen Hill, Chris Smith, and Liangelo Ball.
“I definitely think that we can pick up where last year’s players left off,” said Wilkes.
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